


It's a Harsh World Out There

by Anonymous



Series: A New Dawn [3]
Category: ARGONAVIS from BanG Dream! AAside (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Disturbing Themes, Future Fic, Multi, Post-Canon, fem!Ren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:49:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26953153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: An abandoned child outside an Argonavis concert forces them to face some harsh realities about the world.
Relationships: Asahi Nayuta/Nanahoshi Ren, Goryo Yuuto/Matoba Wataru
Series: A New Dawn [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964038
Kudos: 18
Collections: Anonymous





	It's a Harsh World Out There

**Author's Note:**

> A fic to introduce my Yuuwata fan kid - Akira! 
> 
> This one takes place a year or so earlier than the very first work in this series. I mentioned Yuuto and Wataru's son in the previous work, and I wanted to write a full fic detailing how they came about adopting him. 
> 
> Warning: has mentions of adult themes and suicide!!!

The roars of the crowd still wafted through the air as Argonavis made their way backstage. 

Yuuto sucked in a breath. "Now that is what I call a show!" he exclaimed. 

Wataru grinned at his side. "It's been a while since we had a show like this, hasn't it?" 

Rio nodded. "Good work today," he said, looking over all of them. 

It was clear that despite Argonavis's recent hiatus arising from their vocalist's pregnancy, the band were at the top of their game. Not only that, they were also more than ready to bring a new feel to their sound, really making it a special experience for their adoring fans. 

Ren chuckled. "I missed this," she admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I love Yukina, but I really did miss performing." 

"Us too," Wataru told her. "Even the small shows we had once you came back to us don't compare to standing on a stage like that with you at our helm." 

Yuuto grinned as after over ten years together, Wataru really had embraced the ship metaphor for their band. "You don't have to rush back home right away, do you?" he asked her. 

She shook her head. "It's fine, Nayuta-kun picked her up from daycare today." 

"So what do you say the five of us grab a bite to eat?" Yuuto suggested. 

Banri nodded furiously. "Yeah, it's been a while since we had such a good show, it would be a shame not to celebrate!" 

Ren nodded. "Definitely!" 

As they broke apart for a few minutes to change out of their stage costumes into more comfortable clothing, they resumed their talks about where to eat once they reunited. Ren was insistent on burgers, while Wataru wanted to get something lighter since they had had a long and exhilirating stage. Yuuto didn't care as long as it wasn't hotpot, and Banri just wanted to get something cheap and filling, the years not putting a damper on his frugal mindset. 

However, the moment Wataru opened the door, the sound of crying floated their way, making all of them freeze. 

"Is that-?" Yuuto asked. 

"A child?" Rio finished his sentence. 

Ren immediately walked forward, looking around for the source of the crying. Her gaze landed to the side, on a step next to a dumpster, where a small child was sat, wailing into the night. 

"W-why is there a child here?" Banri stammered. 

Ren stepped forward to the child, getting to her knees so she was closer to him. "Hello there," she said. 

Her voice was enough for the child's wailing to subside, revealing large, striking azure blue eyes that complimented his mop of jet black hair. "Are you lost?" Ren asked. 

The child sniffed slightly, turning away with a flush on his face. _Understandable_ , Ren thought. _I am a stranger to him._ However even the few moments she had caught of him allowed her to assess him. If she was right, this child was around her own daughter's age, if not a bit younger. 

"Could you tell me your name?" Ren asked. "My name's Nanahoshi Ren." She gestured to Wataru who had followed her, leaning over her shoulder. "And this is Matoba Wataru." 

The child sniffled, wiping his teary eyes. "Aki...Akira..." he said, his high voice small and shy. 

"Akira-kun, huh?" Wataru said. "Can you tell us your family name? Perhaps we can find your mother." 

However, the child looked away, the mention of his mother seemingly setting off another crying spree. Ren quickly scooped him into her arms, gently patting his head. "There, there," she gently said. "Don't cry, don't cry." 

She rested her hand on his forehead for a moment before raising her eyes to her friends. "He definitely has a fever," she relayed. 

Wataru hummed. "Probably due to stress," he reasoned. "I'd take him to a hospital but it looks like it could make things worse." 

Ren looked down at him. "He seems hungry too," she softly murmured, before looking up. "Yuuto, what should we do?" 

Yuuto, who had been watching the proceedings quietly, now jumped as he was put on the spot. "Uh..." he stammered as he felt five expectant pairs of eyes on him. "Um...Rio, could you call the police? Banri, could you run down the street and make sure no one accidentally left their baby here?" 

Rio and Banri nodded, disappearing to do their assigned tasks. Yuuto then turned to his friend and his husband. "As for the baby, I'm lost," he admitted to them. "He needs a calming place, but I don't know if we'd end up getting in trouble or not." 

As the child fussed even more, Wataru gently took him from Ren, turning to Yuuto as the child cuddled up into his hoodie. "I'm not entirely sure, but I think Rio and Banri can stay and answer the police's questions. However Akira-kun is running a fever and we don't know when was the last he ate. The only place with any baby supplies is Ren's place." 

"Ren's place, huh?" Yuuto murmured. "Won't that guy make a scene though?" 

Ren shook her head. "I'm sure he'll understand," she said. 

Yuuto sighed heavily. "You better be right, Ren." He then left for a moment to tell Rio and Banri that he was taking the van to drive the three of them to Ren's home, and that they should just take a taxi later. Once they got a picture of the little boy, the band split, two of them waiting and asking questions about a lost child, and the other three driving with the child in tow. 

Yuuto was the driver, and Ren and Wataru sat in the back so they could care for Akira. It seemed that after all his crying and lulled by his fever, he fell asleep in Wataru's arms. Yuuto, catching glimpses of the backseat in the rear view mirror, allowed himself a small smile at the sight of the loving gaze his husband had towards this random child they found on the street. 

Ren was the first to open the door to allow Wataru through. Upon reaching the living room, she found Nayuta sitting on the couch, brow furrowed as he scratched lyrics onto a page. At his side, Yukina sat scribbling gibberish with a giant crayon onto a plain paper. Pon-chan lay at their feet, on his side with his tongue lolling out.

"You're back early," Nayuta commented, not looking in their direction yet. "I thought you said you'd be la-" He stopped mid-sentence as he raised his head to see Wataru following his wife inside, huddling a clothed figure to his chest. 

He immediately got up and went over to them. "Who's that?" Nayuta asked, pointing to the figure, which he now recognized as a small child around Yukina's age. 

"Sorry, Nayuta-kun, but we really do need to hurry," Ren spoke up behind him. "Yuuto, Wataru, come in." 

Nayuta looked confused and ready to protest, but upon seeing the strange child's flushed face and taking in his heavy breaths, he stood aside and allowed the other two inside, shutting the door once Yuuto was in. In the meantime, Wataru followed Ren into the kitchen. 

"I think baby food would be too much for him right now," Wataru reasoned. "Do you happen to have any formula?" 

"Yeah, it's in the fridge," Ren said, rushing to the large machine. "Give me a minute and I'll warm some up." 

As the two of them rushed around the kitchen, Nayuta folded his arms over his chest, turning to Yuuto. "Goryo, you better have an explanation for this."

Yuuto sighed. "We found him outside the venue," he said simply. 

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" 

"It's like I said. Someone left this child outside our venue for who knows how long." 

"And no one heard him cry?" 

"No, the crowd drowned out the sound of his cries." 

Nayuta went silent as Yuuto continued. "Rio and Banri will probably drop by later," he said. "They're currently asking around and talking to the police. But he's running a fever from all the stress so we just couldn't leave him there." He then turned to Nayuta. "Would you mind?" 

Nayuta took a breath. "No," he said simply, turning to go to the living room where he realized his sixteen month old daughter was by herself. Upon returning, he quickly realized that he had also left his lyrics unattended, and was met with the sight of Yukina brandishing her crayon proudly, having scribbled all over his hard thought out lyrics, probably proud of helping her father finish quickly.

Nayuta sighed. It looked like it was going to be a long night of telling apart his lyrics from crayon scribbles and rewriting them all over again. 

Also it seemed she hadn't registered that her mother had returned, or that there was someone else in the house either. 

Ren then returned to the living room, having warmed up some milk for Wataru to feed the child, now focusing on her own child. Upon her arrival, Yukina quickly pointed at her happily, saying her name. Ren picked her up and placed her in her lap, praising her for being good all this time. 

Wataru returned as well, and Yuuto quickly made space on the opposite couch for him to comfortably hold the baby and let him drink from the bottle. "He's drinking," he said, relieved. 

Ren let out a small sigh. "He should hopefully sleep now." 

In her lap, Yukina sat, staring wide eyed at the new stranger. She turned to her mother, pointing at him, as if asking who he was. 

"Oh, that's right, you still haven't met, have you?" Ren realized, standing up and scooping Yukina in her arms. "This is Akira-kun, he'll be your new friend for a bit!" 

Yukina peered at the baby, who had just finished drinking his fill and was now about to go to sleep. Just as Akira turned his head, he saw Yukina in his view, and froze in place, curiosity now overtaking him. 

Yuuto moved so Ren could sit beside Wataru, letting Yukina see Akira better. She turned to look at her mother. 

"Fwend?" she asked, pointing to the boy. 

"Yes, that's Akira-kun!" Ren said. 

"Play?" the pale haired girl asked, and Ren sighed. 

"I'm sorry, little one, but Akira-kun needs to rest. But you can play with him once he gets better." 

Yukina considered her mother's words for a moment, before looking back at the little boy staring at her with azure blue eyes. Upon hearing that he needed to get better in order for them to be able to play, Yukina offered him the giant crayon still in her hand. 

"I don't think that'll help," Yuuto gave a small laugh. "Although I'm sure he appreciates the gesture." 

Wataru quickly checked his temperature with the back of his hand. "He'll need to rest right now," he said. "Anywhere we can put him to sleep for a while? At least until we know more?" He looked between Nayuta and Ren. 

Ren nodded. "The guest bedroom is free," she said. "There's also a bathroom in case you'd prefer to bathe him or clean him up a bit." 

"Thanks," Wataru breathed, standing up. 

Ren quickly looked to her husband. "Nayuta-kun?" she asked, about to ask whether he would be willing to help.

"I know, I know," he surprised her by standing up before she could ask anything. "I'll go help him set up the room." 

He strolled past Wataru before she could say anything else. At her side, Yuuto gave a small scoff. "Quite cooperative today, isn't he?" he commented. "Wouldn't he usually make a fuss?" 

Ren looked down at Yukina, a tiny smile gracing her lips as she played with her daughter's hair. "I think it's because there's a child involved," she said. "Akira-kun's also so close to Yukina's age, I think he can't help but try to help out as much as he can." 

Yuuto leaned back against the headboard. "Being a father's given him of all people a new perspective on life, huh?" he asked, casting his gaze towards the ceiling. 

"Shouldn't you go be with Wataru?" Ren asked. "He might need your help with Akira-kun." 

Yuuto hummed. "I'll go in a bit," he said, rubbing his temples as the exhaustion from performing an intense live plus the stress of caring for a random child began to hit him. 

Eventually though, he did make his way to the guest bedroom to check on his husband and their new friend, happy to find that Akira was now sound asleep thanks to Wataru. The two then returned to the living room, currently only occupied by Ren as Nayuta had left to put Yukina to bed, since even all these years later, he always felt a bit awkward when only Argonavis was in the room. 

Rio and Banri arrived soon after, relating their findings. 

"It seems the child's name is Sato Akira," Rio said. 

"Sato...Akira?" Yuuto repeated slowly. 

Rio nodded. "An old lady nearby identified him. Apparently the police have visited the apartment he stays at with his mother a few times before for noise complaints." 

Banri hummed. "They're trying to track her down now." 

Ren breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good," she said. "If we can reunite them, it'll be the best outcome." 

"Are we so sure of that?" Yuuto asked. 

When the others turned to him, giving him questionable glances, Yuuto took a deep breath. "I mean, think about it," the guitarist urged. "Akira was left in the back alley of a concert hall where no one could hear his cries. Would any responsible parent leave their child alone in a place like that?" 

Wataru sighed. "I have to agree with Yu," he said. "Our show was two hours long. Who knows how long that baby was lying outside crying with no one coming to him?" 

Ren cast a look on the ground, staying silent. Emotions swirled in her heart as it ached for the child's condition. She turned to Nayuta to gauge her husband's reaction to find him sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed but brow furrowed as he listened to their conversation. 

"Still, it is a good idea to track down the mother, even if it is to remove custody," Rio pointed out. 

"Anyway, it's the police's problem, not ours," Banri piped up. "Our priority is making sure he feels comfortable and recovers." 

Silent agreement went around at Banri's statement, but it was clear that it was still unsettling for all of them. Banri and Rio left first, and Wataru found he just couldn't leave the young boy by himself after caring for him all this time, leading to him begging Nayuta and Ren whether he could stay over just for the night. And of course, Yuuto would follow his husband anywhere, so Nayuta begrudgingly allowed the two to occupy the guest bedroom with the sleeping child. 

Nayuta and Ren then retired to their own room for the night, and he spent a moment thinking as his sleeping daughter clung to his hand, her tiny hand barely the size of his fingers. 

"Nayuta-kun, is something wrong?" Ren asked in a hushed voice.

"No," he replied. "Just...thinking, I suppose." 

"About what?" 

"About what makes that child so different from Yukina."

Ren stayed silent as Nayuta sighed once more, continuing with his train of thought. "Whenever Yukina cries, she's always got either you or me to pick her up and console her. But...that child probably stayed crying for a long time with no one coming for him." 

Ren exhaled. "It's really painful," she said. "I want to help him as much as I can." 

Nayuta nodded. "Do what you must." 

Ren watched as his gaze went down to his daughter as she wondered what he must be thinking. She wondered whether all of this was bringing unpleasant memories back for him.

When they had just begun dating, Nayuta had opened up to her and told her that the primary reason he wanted to reach the top of the world was because his father had been there, and he had abandoned him. So Nayuta had wanted to get there himself and see what all the fuss was about, see what it was about the stage that could make someone abandon his family over something like a health condition. Yet, when he had actually stood up there years later and had achieved his dream, he later told her that he couldn't see it, leading him to conclude that his father had been a coward and a shithead. 

The more Nayuta experienced life, marrying Ren, becoming a father and raising a kid, the more his hatred of his family surged. 

And now with another abandoned kid appearing on his doorstep, Ren wondered how Nayuta must be feeling. However, knowing how less he liked to tall about these things, she allowed herself to fall asleep as he left to go and rewrite his lyrics.

* * *

The morning saw Akira's fever subsided greatly, and the child's energy was slowly returning. Upon waking up to find himself in a room he didn't recognize in between two strange men, he had cried, leading to Wataru waking up and comforting him. Yuuto, true to his reputation of being able to sleep through a hurricane, continued to snore until he rolled over and almost fell off the bed, leading to him waking up and taking a moment to wonder why there was so less space in his bed. 

Akira had originally been confused, but it seemed he had taken quite the liking to Wataru, and Yuuto as well. When Ren came downstairs to make some coffee for herself and Nayuta when he woke up, she found Wataru making breakfast for them and Yuuto bouncing the young boy on his leg and cooing at him. 

Ren took the time then to get Yukina ready and bring her down, letting Nayuta sleep in since he had a long night and it was his day off anyway. With Akira feeling a lot better, the adults took their chance to reintroduce them, hoping they could get along. 

Yukina turned to her mother as Ren urged her. "Go ahead," she told her. "Akira-kun's better now so you can play with him." 

Yukina turned back to Akira who was still as captivated by her. Then she raised her hand and placed it on his head, patting his fluffy black hair a couple of times. "Get better," she said. At that, Akira smiled widely and laughed. 

On the side, Wataru turned away, leaning on Ren. "I might just die, Ren," he told his friend, a deep blush turning his face the color of his hair. 

Rio and Banri stopped by later that day for lunch, with Rio taking over the kitchen. When Nayuta had finally awoken close to noon and had trudged into the kitchen to get some coffee, he had been met with the sight of Rio occupying the area and shooing him away, causing him to go and ask Ren why she hadn't woken him up earlier. 

The five of them forced Nayuta to have lunch with them, and Nayuta found himself the outlier as the band of five chatted happily, watching Yukina and Akira play with some of her toys out of the corner of his eyes. 

"It really seems that Akira has taken a liking to Yukina," Wataru commented. 

Ren nodded. "It's good for her to have a friend around her age," she said. "There's almost no little kids in our social circles, so the only time she gets to play well is when she's in daycare." 

"Well, we don't know whether Akira will stay," Rio gently pointed out. "We're still waiting on the police, but you do know if his mother is found then he'll have to go back to her." 

His statement made a depressive silence set over the table, as especially Ren and Wataru cast their eyes down to their plates. Yuuto sighed, knowing that in the one day they had known the boy, his husband had really grown fond of him already. 

Not like he hadn't himself. 

It was later that afternoon, when both kids were fast asleep in the bedroom, that Rio received the phone call they'd all been waiting for. 

With bathed breaths, they watched as he spoke a few words, watching as his eyes widened and he sighed deeply. "Thank you for the information," he said, hanging up the phone and turning to the rest of them. 

"That was the police," he told them.

"Did they find Akira-kun's mother?" Ren asked. 

"They found...her suicide note next to her body."

A collective gasp went around them as they all sat shocked. Even Nayuta had sat up, his eyes wide. 

"What happened?" Yuuto asked. 

Rio took a deep breath. "It seems...she wrote everything in her letter," he said. "According to it, Akira seems to be the illegitimate son of an heir to a big corporation. Apparently, she began receiving pressure from them, so she was forced to abandon her son and take her own life." 

Yuuto clenched his fists in anger. "W-who was it?" he asked softly. 

"She refused to name him," Rio replied, his voice heavy. 

"Poor Akira-kun..." Ren said, placing her hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying. Wordlessly at her side, Nayuta slipped his hand into her other one, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

Banri sighed. "That's how it is, huh?" he asked. 

"Huh?" Rio responded.

Banri's gaze was fixed on the small table in front of them, on the glass of water resting on it. "I feel like... we're so used to happiness with each other...that it's easy to forget just how shitty the world really can be." 

Ren sighed heavily. "I know..." she trailed off. 

He was right in his assessment that even though they were all surrounded by happiness, that the world wasn't always bright and cheery. She knew that well, having come face to face with struggles in her time in the band, but even then she had been optimistic. And in the last few years, having reached even greater heights with her four friends, marrying Nayuta and then with the birth of her daughter, actual sadness seemed like such a faraway thing. 

"So Akira-kun is an orphan now, isn't he?" Wataru said slowly. 

Rio nodded solemnly. "The police said they may send a social worker over to send him to an orphanage, since he has no other known relatives to take him in." 

"So either he gets adopted or he lives the rest of his life in an orphanage...and considering the track record of orphanages, the latter is more likely..." Banri said, clenching his fists. "Those options... don't sound so good." 

Wataru then looked up, sharing a look with Yuuto. After giving him a nod, Yuuto stood up. 

"Actually, that may not come to happen," he said. 

"Huh?" Ren asked, a bit surprised at the leader's suddenness. 

Yuuto took a deep breath. "Wataru and I wanted to wait a little longer to confirm before telling anyone, but..." 

"Yu and I were thinking of adopting," Wataru finished his sentence. 

Banri's mouth dropped as a smile came onto Ren's face. "Really?" she asked excitedly.

Wataru nodded. "We wanted to be a bit more sure before we started the process," he said. "But we've somewhat considered it since Yukina was born." He turned his head to look at the staircase for a moment. "We were a bit hesitant about having a family together, but now..." 

He turned to look at Yuuto, who sighed. "We're sure," he said. 

Rio gave a small smile. "Well, if anyone can be good parents, it's you two," he said. 

Banri nodded. "This is great news!" 

Nayuta stayed silent the entire time, giving nothing more than a grunt and his usual form of "it has nothing to do with me." To contrast him, Ren jumped to her feet and went over to them. "So, it's decided?" she asked. "You guys will be taking Akira-kun in?" 

"Well, as decided as just saying it is," Wataru grinned. "We still have to speak to the social workers and see what they say, but I'll say I'm hopeful." 

"I think you guys will get through!" Ren exclaimed. "After all, Akira-kun seems to have taken quite the liking to you, and you guys were there when he needed you the most." 

Yuuto grinned. "But yeah, I suppose we really are having a family." He slipped his hand over his husband's shoulder, and Wataru reached up as well, grasping his hand tightly, his wedding ring catching the light of the sun streaming in from the window as the rest of them cooed over them. 

Nayuta cast a look at the staircase leading up to where his daughter and Akira were sleeping. 

_It was all a mess,_ he thought. Because of adults' selfishness, once more, a child had suffered. 

Of course, it did end well, since he would be going into the care of two of the most capable people Nayuta knew, but he was still beset with thoughts of how it could have been avoided. 

A young child shouldn't have to make a transition like this before he could even understand the situation. 

He sighed. An adult's world really was messy.

* * *

"So that's how it is then," Kenta commented. 

When Nayuta had gone in for practice, Kenta had insisted on not starting right away since no one else had arrived yet, instead taking the time to grill him about a supposed random child.

"I expected you to hear of this from him," Nayuta said, his arms crossed over his chest. "He's your brother, after all." 

"I did hear of it from him," Kenta replied. "Well, as much as a call telling me that he got approved and that he's going to be a father." He sighed softly. "He still doesn't tell me everything." 

Nayuta turned away for a moment. "But... it's good that they're taking him in," he said softly. 

Kenta grinned softly. "I know," he said. "I always knew it was inevitable. Unlike me, Wataru has always wanted a family, and unlike me, he would make a good father." 

"The child also seemed to be close with Yukina," Nayuta said. "It'll be good for her to have a playmate." 

"I see," Kenta said. "Well, all's well that ends well, I suppose."

You're wrong, Nayuta thought. To him, he knew the hard work had only just begun. 

Kenta gave a laugh. "I'll admit it feels nice," he said. "I'm actually an uncle now." 

"I suppose I should congratulate you," Nayuta replied curtly. 

"Eh? What's this I hear about Kenta becoming an uncle?" 

Nayuta gritted his teeth as the rest of his band made an appearance, with Miyuki immediately slinging his arm around Kenta's shoulders. 

"If you have time to gossip, then get to practice." 

* * *

In another house, Wataru had just finished tucking the young boy into bed. 

It wasn't going to be easy, he knew. It would take time for the child to even slowly register that he would never see his mother again, much less that the two men he now lived with were now his fathers. 

He sighed. _So much change for such a small boy..._

"Hey."

He looked up to see Yuuto taking a seat on the other side of the bed. "Hey," Wataru breathed.

"How's he doing?" the guitarist asked. 

"Much better than yesterday," Wataru said. "Hopefully he actually sleeps through the night." 

Yuuto hummed softly, his brow furrowed and a crease between his eyebrows. "What's wrong, Yu?" 

He sighed. "It's just like Banri said back then," he said. "Because of how shitty the world really is, an innocent now suffers." 

"That's true," Wataru exhaled. "But I suppose all we can do is try to see the positive in this." 

"What's positive about it?"

"He's not alone anymore, is he?" Wataru pointed out. "We'll be there with him from now on."

Yuuto sighed, reaching out to hold Wataru's hand, clasping it over the blanket pulled up to the toddler's chin. He stayed quiet, running his thumb over his husband's knuckles. 

It was true that there was something positive to all of this, it was that he was now a father. 

He'd been thinking about it intermittently since Ren announced her pregnancy, and actually brought it up once her daughter was born. Wataru had been one of the people involved in raising the baby, and he'd gotten a taste, he had opened up to Yuuto that he wanted it too; a family. 

Perhaps it was good that the decision had to be made so quickly, because Yuuto, despite being the one who raised the issue in the first place, had also been the one to keep it at a distance, distracting Wataru with kisses and touches every time he brought it up. He'd been scared, and had been even more afraid of Wataru seeing through him. 

And yet, here they were, having just gotten the paperwork through during the day. 

And now Sato Akira had officially become Goryo Akira. 

Yuuto knew that the hard work had only begun, and that a small child would suffer for the mistakes of adults. However, he hoped that even in a world like this, perhaps they could help make it even a bit better for this child, the child he could now call his son.


End file.
